Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-04
THE LABOR LOBBY.
The Washington Climate Detrimental to
"Labor Committees"
pbUadaIDbIa Raro-d

Philadelphia Record.
The Knights of Labor should withdraw
their lobby from the city of Washington
without further delGy if they would pre-
vent their great organization from being
used to promote unworthy ends. The
lobby, consisting of three individuals
called National Committee on Legisla-
ton, processes TO represent not
less than 100000 organized
workers and their ''depend-
enIs'' in the United States and the inter
ests of three-fourths of the whole people.
So vast d power should be accompanied
with great wisdom and strong sense Of
responsibility. The three famous tsilors
of Tooley street did not assume much
more representative power than that
claimed by these three committeeman.
Representing, as they assert, so
many people and so great in
terests, the members of this na-
tional committee, Ralph Beaumont, John
j. Mccartney and James Campbell, have
written g letter of protest to the Presi-
dent of the United States against the
interstate commerce bill, now in his
hands. They do not like the commission
Neither do good many other people; but
if the dill be good in other respects the
commission ought not to be q fatal objec-
ton.
According to this committee of Knights
of Labor the bill 'confers on the railroad
commission "arbitrary power" The
fact that the bill gives the commission
next to no power at all is the best reason
why the commission might have been
dispensed with. Then the three Knights
assert as the next objection that "exces-
sive jurisdiction" is given to
the federal courts to hear
and to determine causes arising
under this act and SO, according to
their own statement, the arbitrary pow
err of the commission cannot exist
where the federal courts have exclusive
jurisdiction. But to what other courts
should jurisdiction oe extended? The
congress of the United States does not
legislste for the state courts. The causes
arising under this act in regard to inter-
state commerce must exclusively belong
to the courts CT the United States.
In the opinion OF tins committee the
bill should be vetoed because of "the &C.,
knowledged uncertainty as TO the mean
ing of nearly ali the provisions of the
nScsGtS ne VI SjOOSttUO
woIkipgmeu snd OF the interests OF three
fourths Of the people Of the United States
ought not TO make such sweeping asser-
tons in regard to SO important a
work of legislation. 1t is likely
that intelligent courts will not expe-
rience any great difficulty in interpreting
this measure in such Way as to prevent
unjust determinations and promote
equity. What is remarkable about this
protest is that not whisper of objection
to the bill on the part of the Knights Of
Labor reached congress or the public ear
when it was under consideration. Where
was this committee when the bill was
passing through both Houses with such
large majorities? Is it not strange that
this protest was not heard until the bill
had run the gauntlet of all its open enc
mics? For our part we do not believe
that the Knights of Labor, or any consid-
cradle number of them, are unwilling to
take the best bill they can get from Con-
gress. The Knights of Labor should, in
their own interest. withdraw their COM
mittee on legislation from Washington.
1t is evident that the air of the national
capital does not agree with them,